Electric coupling.



R. G. AVCRILL.

ELECTRIC COUPLING. v

APPLICATVN FILED MAR. 1a. 1916.

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REX G. AVERILL, OF MANSFIELD, OHIO, ASSIGN OR TO THE OHIO BRASC COMPANY,OF MANSFIELD, .OHIO, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY. v

ELECTRIC COUPLING. I

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented A g; 21 1917 Applicationfiled. March 16, 1916. Serial No. 84,599.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, REX G. AVERILL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Mansfield, in the county of Richland and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Couplings, ofwhich the following isa specification.

This invention relates to a coupler for making electrical connectionsbetween cars and the like, although, of course, it may have a moregeneral application wherever it can be used. The principal object of theinvention is to provide a new and improved construction, combination andarrangen ientof parts by which the coupling operation can be performed.

In the drawings, Figure' 1 is a sectional view of a pair of couplersconstructed in accordance with my invention in coupled position; Fig. 2is another sectional view of one of the couplers; Fig. 3 is a sectionalview taken 011 the line 33 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a sectional viewtaken on the line 4-4: of Fig. 1.

In couplers of the class to which this invention relates for makingsingle or multiple electrical connection between coupler plugs it is theusual practice to have one or both of the couplers provided with anextending live conductor, or to provide recessed terminals from whichthe conductors do not protrude, but requiring an additional connectorcable which must be inserted in both of the said couplers to make thedesired connection. The present construction is in a way a combinationof both of these well known forms for a pair of counterpart couplers areprovided with a terminal within the coupler and a projecting conductormember which does not have electrical connection with the live terminalin each couplcr until two similar couplers are connected. This overcomesany objection that there might be to a coupler with a protruding metalmember, for this metal member is not in the electrical connection untiltwo couplers are united, and no separate connector cable is necessaryfor when the couplers are joined they make a proper electricalconnection.

Each coupler of the present invention comprises an insulator 5 of wood,fiber, or any suitable material formed with a recess 6 with anenlargement? at one side of. the recess in which is a small depression 8near the outer end of the insulator 51 Connected with the recess 6 atthe rear end of each insulator is a shouldered hole 9 in which one endof an insulated conductor 10 is inserted. The conductor is secured to aheaded screw 11 which abuts the shouldered portion of the hole 9 andextends within the recess 6. A bent contact 12 has a perforation throughwhich the screw 11 extends and a nut 13 is disposed within the recess tosecure the contact to the screw 11 and thereby to make proper connectionWith the insulated conductor 10. This conductor 12 extends along theside of the recess 6 in that portion in which the enlargement 7 of therecess is located, the conductor being formed with a bent tip 14 whichextends into the depression 8 adjacent the outer end of the insulator 5.Extending from the sides of the contact member adjacent the outer endthereof are lateral wings 15 with bent tips 16. These wings and tipsextend outwardly and downwardly from. the contact member 12 so that whenthe contact member is pressed downwardly it will engage the sides of therecess 6, giving the contact member a spring action.

Opposite the contact member l2'is a conductor 17 secured in the recess 6in any suitable manner, as for example, by the fastening screws 18 whichare preferably countersunk and the space above the screw heads filledwith some suitable insulating material, with the end of the conductor 17projecting beyond the end of the insulator 5. Each conductorl? is formedwith a groove 19 in which a spring 20 is seated and se cured thereto inany suitable manner by one of the fastening devices 18, for example.Each spring 20 is formed adjacent its outer end and just without theinsulator 5 with a hump or projection 21. The outer end ofeach'conductor lTis formed with a beveled edge 22 which engages andrides over the bent extremity ll. of the contact 12 of the coupler withwhich it cooperates, so that conductor 17 there is no danger orpossibility that the will ride under the contact 12 in making connectionbetween the couplers.

It will be noted, therefore, that since the contacts 12 and theconductors 17 of a'pair of oupler members are insulated. from eachother, there are no protruding live contac'ts from either of thecouplers and even the conductors 17 have no current flowing through themuntil they are inserted within corresponding and cooperating couplers.Each conductor 17 acts as a guide for properly connecting the couplersand after two cooperating couplers are connected they are held firmly inplace by the humps 21 of the rsprings'20. The winged extensions 15 atthe end of each contact member 12 insure a firm and sufficient contactwith that extremity of the conductor 17 which protrudes from theopposite coupler. The bent tips 16 of these lateral extensions engagethe sides of the enlargement 7 of the recess 6 and press the wings 15firmly but yieldingly in engagement with the extremity of the conductor17, thereby making a sufficient electrical connection to carry thecurrent for which the coupler is designed without any undue vheating ofany of the coupler parts. It is only when the projecting portions of theconductors-l7 make proper connection with each other and with thecontact member of the opposite couplers that an electric connection ismade between the couplers. This connection may be traced from oneinsulated conductor 10 through the screw 11, nut 13 and contact 'member12 to the conductor 17 of the opposite coupler; thence through thesprings 20 to the conductor 17 of the first coupler and from it to thecontact 12 of the second coupler and thence to the other insulatedconductor 10.

WVhat I claim is:

1. An electric coupler comprising a recessed insulator, a yieldingcontact member rwholly within the recess, a. conductor fixed in therecess but protruding therefrom, and a spring contact finger secured tothe said conductor.

2. An electric coupler comprising a recessed insulator, a yieldingcontact member wholly within the recess, a rigid conductor spaced in therecess from the member and protruding from the recess, and a springcontact finger fixed at its inner end to the conductor and having a humpat its outer end to engage the hump of a counterpart finger.

3, An electric/coupler comprising counterpart recessed insulators, eachhaving a s rin contact and a ri id conductor 0 )osite and insulated fromeach other in the recess and the conductor extending from the insulator,and a spring finger attached to toward the spring contact, as they areinserted.

4. In an electric coupler, the combination with a recessed insulator, ofa contact therein having fixed connection with an electrical source ofsupply, a conductor secured in the recess and projecting therefrominsulated from the said contact, and means in connection with theconductor for pressing the inserted conductor of a counterpart coupleragainst the contact member to make electrical connection from it throughthe said conductors.

5. In a coupler of the class described, the combination with a recessedinsulator having an enlargement at one side thereof and a depression inthe enlarged portion adjacent the outer end, an electrical contactmember secured in the insulator having a resilient extremity of whichthe tip is bent to be seated in the said depression, and contact meanstending to press a conductor as it is inserted in the recess against theresilient extremity of the said contact means.

0. In combination, a pair of counterpart couplers each comprising arecessed insulator, a spring contact member disposed within the recess,a conductor fixed in the recess opposite the contact member and out ofelectrical connection therewith, the extremity of the conductorprojecting beyond the insulator, and a spring in connection with theconductor for pressing the conductor of the counterpart coupler inyielding engagement with the contact member as it is inserted in therecess.

7. In combination, a pain of counterpart couplers each comprising arecessed insulator, a spring contact member disposed within the recess,a conductor fixed in the recess opposite the contact member and out ofelectrical connection therewith, the extremity of the conductorprojecting beyond the insulator, and a spring in connection with theconductor having a hump or projection adjacent the end thereof so thatwhen the projecting extremities of counterpart couplers are insertedwithin each other the conductors will be pressed resiliently inengagement with the contact members of the op 0- site couplers and thecouplers will be held in engagement by the said humps or projections ofthe springs with each other,

8. In an electric coupler, the combination with a recessed insulatingmember, of a conductor secured in one side of the recess and projectingbeyond the end of the coupler, and an electrical contact member disposedin the other side of the recess free from connection with the saidconductor having a free and yielding extremity with lateral extensionsthereof adapted to engage the walls of the recess when the protrudingextremity name to this specification, in the presence of of a conductorof the counterpart coupler is two subscribing Witnesses, on this 13thday inserted between the conductor and contact of MarfA. D. 1916.

member, to make a firm but yielding con- REX G. AVERILL;

nection Wlth the said lateral extensions and Witnesses: the said contactmember. C. V. MARKS,

In testimony whereof I have signed my G. F. BUGHAN.

